MagicMountainStuck
by IAmTheLamp
Summary: Dave, John, Jade, and Rose all meet up in California to spend a few days together at Six Flags, Magic Mountain. Rotating perspective, rated T for cussing, slight JohnDave pairing.
1. Be the excited teenaged boy

**This is the first fic I'm publishing here, so I hope you like it~ I got the idea when I was with my fellow Homestuck at Disneyland, oddly enough... but we live right next to MM, so it's pretty normal to talk about it I guess? I'm going to shut my face now and let you read :x**

== Be the excited teenaged boy.

Your name is John Egbert, and you are an excited teenaged boy. That's because you are in California with your three best friends in the whole world, and you are all staying in a hotel room together right smack dab next to Magic Mountain, where you are headed to today. You all came to the agreement that you are comfortable enough around each other to all share one room together, instead of getting one for you and Dave, and another for Rose and Jade. Of course, you split the beds that way, leaving you, up early, to stare at the sleeping blond boy next to you with an eager grin on your face as you wait for him to wake up. He's just as emotionless in his sleep as he is during the day, and just as cool too. He insisted the night before that he did not need to take his sunglasses off, and he hasn't moved an inch since falling asleep, leaving them sitting on his face, not even crooked in the least. Finally you just can't take it anymore, and nudge him, hoping he's a light enough sleeper that you won't have to do much else. He shifts, but you can't tell if he opens his eyes or not behind the shades until he smirks and sits up a little.

"Hey Egbert," he mumbles.

"What." You pout. "No ironic morning greeting?"

"I'm not a morning person. Mornings are like the bane of my existence. If you gave me the option between fighting an anaconda and getting up in the morning, I'd pick the anaconda. If I had to get up early to fight the anaconda, I'd still pick that, because at least then I can do something badass early in the day and fill my quota before promptly going back to sleep."

"Uh…"

"So no, Egbert, no ironic morning greeting."

"Man, you're off your game. You shouldn't have stayed up so late last night."

"Why are you even awake already?" He tilts his head up to glance at the clock and groans softly, burying his face in the pillows. "It's not even eight o'clock, and it's Saturday."

"Do you ever take those glasses off, Dave?"

"No. Go back to sleep."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered and all that you put my present to use at least. But jeez, what a hipster."

"Not a hipster. Go to sleep."

"You keep them on at night. You're one of those stupid douche guys that wear their sunglasses when it's too dark to see even with them _off."_

"Egbert."

"And you're not a hipster?"

"Egbert."

"You brought an old fashioned camera."

"Goddammit Egbert, go to fucking sleep." He lifts his head enough to pull the pillow from beneath it and smacks you in the face. You grab it and hit him back, but his face is in the pillows and your attack is completely ineffective. Plus, then you get hit with another pillow on the other side, and you turn to see that Jade is also wide awake and grinning, and Rose is waking up gracefully beside her, rubbing at her eyes lightly.

"Dave won't get up," you complain.

"There could be several reasons for that," Rose answers sleepily, hair mussed slightly without its typical headband in it. "including depression, insomnia, pressure facing reality—"

"God, Lalonde, I'm a normal sixteen-year-old. Dislike of getting up in the morning is the same for nearly everyone, except apparently you three."

"It's nearing eight."

"I'm still a time zone or two ahead," Jade says with a sheepish smile, "I fell asleep early; I've been awake for a while…"

"We can't all live in the middle of the ocean, Harley," Dave speaks into the pillow.

"May I remind you, Strider, that as far as time zones go, you're better off than I am, and I'm already up."

You watch the conversation unfold and start to feel a little bad for your friends, because, living in Washington, you didn't have to change zones. You just got on an airplane and headed straight south to Valencia. Or rather, to LA, then north to Valencia.

You take an immensely short time to get ready, essentially rolling out of bed and just changing into your regular clothes, in the closet for the sake of the girls (queue the gay remarks from Dave). Jade and Rose are ready around the same time after you, and somehow the three of you manage to get Dave out of bed. He changes without entering the bathroom, like the girls had, or even the closet, like you had.

"You guys can stare at my hot bod if you want."

"He said ironically?" you question.

"Fuck no," he answers, "I am fucking sexy in the most unironic way possible."

"Yes Dave," you say with a laugh as you put your shoes on, "You are such a sexy beast."

"Shut it Egbert."


	2. Be the other guy

**I like that some people seem interested in this :3 it makes me a happy panda.**

Be the other guy.

You are now Dave Strider. You are really freaking tired. That's because your best bro is derp. He's a really adorable derp, but a derp nonetheless, and that comment was definitely made in an ironic fashion. Definitely.

You guess that it isn't as bad as when your Bro sometimes wakes you up in the mornings by beginning a strife while you're still in bed. You'd rather be hit with a pillow than with one of Bro's piece-of-shit katanas. You can't help but stay on your guard because of all that. Half of you is paranoid that he followed you here, and that he's going to pop out, out of nowhere, and insist on a hash rap or something else that you really don't want to deal with around your friends, partly because Bro sort of kind of pretty much always completely kicks your ass, and you have a reputation to maintain with these people.

You don't complain any more as you pack into a taxi to take you to the park. They let you have the front passenger seat, and if you look in the center rear view mirror, you can just barely see Egbert as he leans his face into the window excitedly.

You find yourself at complete ease in the dry California heat, so similar to the weather back home. The scenery is different though, and you have a feeling that you're going to be using the camera hanging around your neck a lot.

The amusement park doesn't open until ten. It's nine thirty. People are everywhere. People are dumb. Who would show up a half-hour before the park opened just to get a good place in line?

Oh. You would. But it's all Egbert and Harley's fault, you swear. They don't have problems with the hours right now, since John didn't have to deal with a change, and Jade just fell asleep as soon as you got to the hotel. As frustrating as you're sure it is for her to have narcolepsy, you also think that sometimes it might be nice. You and Rose stayed up for a while before she stated that it would be wise to attempt to sleep. You didn't listen. Fuck time. You can handle a few hours. What's a few hours. You could be the knight of freaking time if you wanted to be, you're just that damn cool.

People come out and start dancing and shouting, and you stop paying attention, even when Egbert insists you go up and dance with them ironically. You flatly decline before everyone swarms to the gates to get in.

"Okay," John says, being the friend-leader-type that he is, "So I think we should go to X2 first. Apparently it's the coolest ride in the whole park, and the lines for it are insane, so if we get there before everyone else, we won't have to wait so long."

Jade eagerly agrees, now bouncing around just as much as Egbert, and Rose smiles and nods. You smirk. That's all the acknowledgement they need from you, and the second you're in, you're bolting, following the signs to the alleged coolest ride. You'll be the judge of that. You and your Bro are the only ones that can decide what's the coolest. You are easily the fastest of your group, but you honestly have no clue where you're going, so you allow Egbert and his frustratingly slow speed to navigate. There are other people already in front of you as well, so you have a pretty good idea as to where you're going. It would seem that several other people have the exact same thoughts on what direction to go. It's pretty chaotic around you, but you get a similar spiel at the Six Flags park back home. But that Six Flags fucking sucks, and the one here is supposed to be the best of all of them, even though it was in Texas first. You reach the line and then take the lead, hopping over all the empty parts of the line instead of going around every barricade. John attempts to copy you and fails miserably, taking longer to jump each metal railing than it would take to go around. You almost smile, and wonder how frequently he tries to copy all the stunts he sees in his precious movies. And how frequently it goes horribly for him. You suppose he can settle for learning the soundtracks on piano and playing them at whatever chance he gets. You're willing to bet good money that he can play all of that dumbass 'how can I live without you' song from Con-Air by memory.

You manage to get there to catch the second train on the ride, and your eyes widen a little when you see how the ride functions. The people are pulled backwards up to the peak of the ride, then dropped. Just dropped. Backwards. The gates open, and you end up on the end next to Rose. A guy with long black hair and towel around his neck comes by and makes sure everything is secure. You're confidence with this does not improve. In fact, with all the sweat rolling off this guy's face, he just looks really sketchy, and if anything it makes you even more nervous. The ride pulls you away, and you blink, moving a hand up to hold tightly onto the stem of your glasses, lest they fall off. Hey, if you're going to be killed on a roller coaster, damn well you're going to be one cool-looking corpse.

**I'm really sorry. I like being mean to Dave.**


	3. Be the blonde girl

**Okay, so this is really short, because I suck at writing from the girls' perspectives. Shhhh, only gay boys now... The next chapter will make up for it, because 1.5k-ish words. O.O**

* * *

== Be the blonde girl. Sit next to the scared boy.

You have never actually been to a theme park, but you aren't afraid in the least. You know everything about the safety of the rides and have no reason in the world to be nervous. Even if a ride were to break down, you would be perfectly fine because of the way it's built. The ride train pulls you away backwards with a small smile on your face until you glance outward at your fellow blond. He's paler than usual, leaning far back into his seat with his hand on his glasses. You narrow your eyes in concern. His other hand is holding onto the thin metal bar on the safety harness, knuckles turning white with the force of his grip. You know better than to ask him if he's alright. You don't mean to embarrass him. You know his dependence on keeping up his cool kid façade. Bringing up the fact that he is so obviously fearful would just be rude, and you most certainly are not rude. Instead you give him a knowing look that conveys your openness, your willingness to speak to him if he wants or needs to talk about anything. He meets your gaze for a short moment before facing the other direction, but then his hold tightens even more and he faces forward, and you determine that the height is not helping his situation as you feel yourself tipping back further and going over the edge before the gyration affects the ride and moves everyone to face straight down. A pity strikes in your chest for Strider, and you refrain from smiling brightly despite the thrill of the ride that must only last a minute or two.

"That was the coolest thing ever!" John says, jumping down from his seat when the train jerks to a stop. His hair is a mess, but nothing compared to Jade's. Her similarly dark hair has gone from its nicely brushed-through state to a knotted terror, and you help her run fingers through it to fix it a little.

"I have a ponytail holder, Rose, it's fine," she giggles, pulling an elastic band off of her wrist and pushing her hair up into it, still endearingly messy.

"If you insist." You turn back to eye Strider, who looks pale, but just as stoic as usual. His hair is likewise a mess, and you're sure yours is just as bad. "Care for a hair tie?" you ask with a good natured smirk. "I'm sure Jade would be happy to loan you one."

"No need," he says flatly. "I'm just as gorgeous as ever."

You would swear that you can hear the usual confidence in his voice wearing thin, but it isn't often you hear his voice. On occasion the four of you connect through video chat, and then, of course you hear each other's voices, but you certainly would not call yourself an expert on his voice timbre.

"Where to next, leader?" you voice to John as you walk down the stairs off the ride. He laughs.

"I'm not your leader, I'm your friend. But I guess whatever ride we see next. Maybe we shouldn't have gone on that first, 'cause I think everything else will seem lame now."

"Oh, oh, oh," Jade says pointing and jumping up and down. "That one! Can we go on that one?"

"The loopy one?" John says, following her gaze.

"Yeah!"

"You guys cool with that?" He turns to you and Strider, and you watch him nod before doing the same yourself. This whole thrill park thing is more fun than you expected it to be. Perhaps you would prefer to read a book, and you don't think it would be so great without friends, but experiencing many things and being well rounded is good for mental health. And who are you to turn your friends down? You don't talk a whole lot to other kids at school, so John, Jade, and Strider are the people you know better than anyone, except perhaps your mother, but you half wish you didn't know her so well. You approach the ride, watching the sign until it is close enough to read. It is called Viper. Not surprising, considering John's description of it as 'the loopy one.' You glance at Dave again, hoping he will fare better with loops than gyrations.

* * *

**Reviewww please! It gives me so much confidence and it also makes me more likely to post sooner~**


	4. Be the other guy again

== Be the other guy again.

You are now the other guy. Shit. Shit. You don't want to be the other guy. The other guy is flipping his shit on the inside. The other guy feels like shaking in panic. But that sucks, because you are now the other guy. You run your hands through your hair, mumbling to yourself. It's so uncool to do that, you know subconsciously, but you do it anyway because hearing your own voice, consistent and predictable to you, can calm you down.

"This is so cool," Jade squeals. John nods animatedly. You sigh through your nose and keep your lips pursed. John does _everything_ animatedly. You find yourself waiting in line on particularly steep stairs while John and Jade play that game where you try to slap one another's hands. And they're doing it completely unironically.

You catch Rose looking sideways at you and you blink. Goddammit, Lalonde. You know that she knows something. You don't quite know what exactly, but you have a vague idea, and goddammit, why is she so freaking observant. It's infuriating.

The line gets shorter and shorter, and you find yourself wondering before you get into the train if this whole trip was a horrible, horrible idea. You could do something to get out of other rides, right? You could suggest some really lame, tame-looking attractions and pull it off as ironic? Water rides? You could definitely handle water rides, and you might not even have to throw those out there ironically; it's fucking hot out. Everyone else liked water too though, right? Rose lived over a river: check. Jade lived in the middle of the ocean: check. John lived by a lake: check. You're in the clear. You're the only one without a body of water near your residence, but you live in Houston. There are a shitload of pools everywhere.

"Shall we proceed with the same pair-up as on the last ride?" Lalonde asks, and you see that sideways glance at you again. The kind of minute detail that Harley and Egderp won't pick up, but which is obvious to you.

"Sounds good," you agree, trying not to sound too anxious, leaning against the railing as another group of people load onto the train and it takes off. Except you aren't anxious. No. What would give anyone that impression? Lalonde is making shit up in her head. You are cool as a motherfucking cucumber.

…You continue to tell yourself that. Another group of people get on. You're getting on after the next group. Fuck. Fuuuuuck. You hadn't counted how many loops were on the ride, but you think you're glad you didn't. It's pretty likely that having the information would only make this worse. Harley and Egbert are still playing that dumb game, and they're laughing, but all sounds seem underwater to you. Lalonde starts rummaging through her pockets, and you shift your shaded gaze from the ground to the ceiling. John asks something but you're still not listening and Rose replies but you don't give a shit and Jade sounds concerned but holy crap that was a lot of loops and Rose says some more stuff but the _loops—_

"Strider!"

"Huh, what." You snap your gaze down to the goth and blink, not that she can see that.

"I seem to have misplaced my mobile phone. Are you terribly attached to the prospect of this ride, or would you mind helping me to search for it?"

You shrug, trying to look nonchalant, but _sweet-jesus-yes-oh-my-fucking-god-get-me-away-from-__here._ "Yeah sure, I'll go."

"Are you sure you don't want us to come too, Rose?" Jade asks.

"No no, that's quite alright. Just text Strider when you've finished the ride, in case we haven't located my own cellular device yet."

"Oh… Okay… Do you want to go on again after? I don't mind waiting again…"

"Neither do I," John says.

"Nah," you interrupt, following Rose away from the line, "You kids have fun. Let us know when to meet up again. And for god's sake, don't lose your own phones."

You move back through the empty flash pass line and come out into the sunlight.

"Where to first, Lalonde? Where do you think we'll find it? Look deep into your psyche, Rose, this is of utmost importance."

"I never lost it."

"…What?"

"I've had it all along; it's right here." She pulls out a professional-looking thing from her pocket and shows it to you curtly before putting it back. "I was wondering if I could speak to you—or vice versa—on a more personal level than perhaps we usually delve into."

"Goddammit, Lalonde," you snap, half on accident. That is a response that is pretty much reserved for your own brain. "Is nothing sacred. What are you, a lego? You're like a lego on the floor of a dark room when you get up in the middle of the night to piss, and then you come back, ready to go to bed, but this lego was sent from _hell_ just so you could step on it and then you have to stop yourself from yelling because everyone else is asleep and you don't wanna wake the whole damn building up. And then you're just there, wondering as you try to ignore the pain, why you got this lego in the first place. Why did you decide to put up with this lego when all it did was cause you pain? And then you keep the lego for years anyway, until it starts to psychoanalyze you and you end up going to a theme park with it when you're sixteen."

You don't really understand half of what you just said, but you don't care too much. Rose got the gist.

"Are you finished, Strider?"

You sigh roughly. "Yeah."

"Small building toys are not designed to be left on the floor of dark rooms. They are to be used in adequate lighting in order to better visualize structure, to make matters more clear."

God-fucking-DAMMIT, Lalonde. She just took your entire extended metaphor and twisted it into something completely different from what it was supposed to be! You were trying to tell her she was annoying you, not consent her prying! "Everything is _crystal, _Lalonde."

"Your hesitance tells me otherwise."

"I'm fine."

There is a sense of finality in your voice, and she falls silent, lavender eyes regarding you patiently for a moment before speaking again.

"Must I really talk you into confiding in me?"

"There's nothing to confide."

"If you're going to lie to me, at least be a little more inconspicuous. You're beginning to vex me somewhat."

"God, shut up, I'm not lying."

She gives you an exasperated look and sighs, turning to walk off toward the tables across the road-ish path thing. You follow her and feel your phone buzz in your pocket. When you pull it out, surprise surprise…

* * *

-tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 10:27-

TG: really

TG: youre really gonna pester me about this

TG: really

TT: You told me to, as it were, shut up. I'm not speaking. I am typing.

* * *

You sit down across from one another as you receive her message.

* * *

TG: this is bullshit

TT: Is it any easier for you to convey your blatant fear of the park attractions through instant message form?

TG: what blatant fear

TG: there is no blatant fear

TG: i am a motherfucking strider

TG: we don't know the meaning of fear

TG: thats what you get with someone as awesome as my bro raising you

* * *

She looks up at you pointedly and you look back, but it doesn't matter. She can't see through your shades any better than anyone else.

* * *

TT: Is that so?

TT: I take it that joining me in my search for a misplaced cell phone was completely out of the goodness of your heart then?

TG: well you know

TG: cant resist an opportunity to be charitable

TG: where would i be if i did that

TG: i would only have my good looks and badass moves

TG: and whats a pretty face without a personality really

TT: If you could spare me the theatrics and simply tell me how I can be of assistance, that would be positively lovely.

TG: how you can be of assistance

TT: Yes, that is in fact what I said.

TG: …

TG: you could do some creepy goth voodoo shit and break all the coasters if its not too much trouble thanks

TT: At long last, the ambiguous Strider speaks!

TG: shut up

TG: i can deal with it

TT: Clearly. I presume you wish to keep this a secret from our companions.

TG: yeah kinda

TT: Now that, I can help you with.

* * *

-ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 10:34-

* * *

"Fuck."

"Hmm?"

* * *

EB: hey! we just got off the ride! :B

EB: did you find rose's phone?

TG: yeah be right there man hold on

* * *

"John and Jade. We gotta go."


End file.
